Termyn8or
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Joined: 11/12/2005
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It is something like what happened to Christmas. While not delving into the divinity of Christ (I am not Christian), Christmas was supposed to be the celebration of His birth, whether divine or not, he probably was the greatest Man that ever lived. Now the joy comes from the children's eyes as the open up the latest video game or other useless presents.
Easter has been similarly bastardized. Supposedly to celebrate the resurrection, or even for a non-believer like me who thinks possible that Jesus was a bad mofo and wasn't dead yet, he showed them ! Good for him. In either case, if any of this happened, the powers that be of the time had to realize that their power was not absolute. Not a bad thing IMO, but what it seems to have become is a tribute to the hard boiled egg.
People who have given their lives to defend this country have my utmost respect and gratitude. They will have it at 3 PM tomorrow. But what about the other 364 days of the year ? Christmas has become the tribute to credit card debt, Easter honors the egg, and now for most people Memorial Day honors the char broiled steak.
I don't do holidays, but since you mentioned it I will try to remember tomorrow at 3 PM to mention just what this day off of work is for. A bunch of people are dead for trying to mantain our way of life, and what is left of our freedom. We owe them a debt which cannot be repaid, unless maybe we too become fighters of one sort or another, and try to right the wrongs in this country instead of fueling the fire of decadence.
My family does not do holidays, I am as likely to have a cookout on any Sunday, on a whim. We buy gifts for each other whenever. "Mom has got to have one of these", and this is in August or something (her birthday is in January, she gets a phone call). In fact we have gotten to the point of specifically NOT exchanging gifts on the day specified (by whom by the way ?).
The spirit of holidays is all but gone. But then why not ? In the case of Thankgiving, I'll try not to get too deep, but I thought it was to be a celebration of friendship between the settlers and the Native Americans. Some friendship, look what happened to them. We might as well call it a victory celebration, that we kicked their ass and took their land. Almost got the genoicide done, but a few of them prevailed. A victory celebration for those who think the world is there for the taking, and indigenous peoples must step aside when we want to move in.
Probably the most honest holiday is Halloween. Supposedly Hallow's Eve, people have no illusions, it is a day to do wierd things to the kids and maybe put a little scare into them here and there and that's it. Who goes to church on Halloween ?
Of course if you go to church on Christmas, opening that $15,000 worth of gifts means so much more doesn't it ? It makes our ersatz opulence seem so deserved, doesn't it ?
Well you can thank those dead soldiers alot more for that than Christ. But then Christ is a dead soldier too, he fought for truth and justice. He paid the ultimate price as well. Knowing full well that he was going to be nailed to a board and hung out to dry, he went willingly. He didn't have an M16 or an Uzi, no tank, no SAMs, no depleted urainium armor piercing weapons, he just went. Sometimes the truest pacifists are the most brave, but I think they are misguided, but the end result, even though I do not believe in forgivness, is that Christ showed the world a thing or three.
Even with all the killing done in Christ's name, I still think the overall effect he had on the world was positive. Many people have learned to coexist and live together in harmony because of the teachings of Christ.
At around 2 PM or so tomorrow I will probably be doing the tribute, to burgers this time. No, times aren't that rough, it's just that for years we had steaks every week for years and frankly I am sick of them. So burgers it is.
But at around 2 PM tomorrow I will try to be around a clock and when it strikes three I will demand that everybody shut the F___ up. For one minute. Somebody is no doubt going to wonder, but they will have to wait until 3:01 PM for the explanation.
That we just gave one minute of our lives for those who have given their whole lives for our way of life. Pitiful I admit, but it is something. Something more than most do.
By the way, what are you going to do.
T
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